Happy Saint Paddy's Day 2024, WA!

(Title image made by DALL-E 3)

Hi WA Friends!

Well, it's that time of year again when everything goes green, we eat corned beef, and the beer keeps on flowing! Lol

Yes, even the Italians enjoy this Irish holiday!

What Does Saint Patrick's Day Have To Do With Frank Zappa?

Well, nothing, really. However, I was listening to the Frank Zappa album "Apostrophe" when I created the title image above, so I asked AI to add a likeness of a young Frank Zappa playing a green guitar to the center of it.

Not bad! If you look closely, you can see the mustache and his iconic "Soul Patch" (the little hairy area just below his lower lip). According to Philps dot com, the combination of his full mustache with a wide Soul Patch was as original as his music, and it has been officially named (by Phillips Razor) the "Zappa Moustache."

If you know me, then you know it's nearly impossible to write a post without bringing music into it somehow! Lol 😂

Here's the full image, so you can take a closer look, and if you never heard any music by Frank Zappa, you owe it to yourself to check out any of his approximately 70 albums ("Apostrophe" would be a great start)!

The title image, with Frank Zappa playing a green Fender Stratocaster guitar.

Frank Zappa and the "Zappa Moustache."

It just goes to show how powerful music really is and how much it can influence our thinking!

Are you using AI to create your images? If not, give it a try!

What To Do On Saint Patrick's Day

Here are eight fun things to do (courtesy of ChatGPT):

1. Attend A Parade

Join the vibrant processions filled with music, dancing, and elaborate floats that many cities host to celebrate.

2. Host A Themed Party

Throw a Saint Patrick's Day party with green decorations, traditional Irish food, and music. Try your hand at making traditional Irish meals like corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, or soda bread.

We do this each year, complete with funny hats, wigs, shalaylees, and Irish drinking music! Maybe I'll post a picture after the festivities. Lol

My Irish patients tell me that in Ireland they don't eat corned beef on Saint Paddy's day or drink green beer. They go to church and then have something like a roast beef dinner. What?? I tell them to stop spoiling my fun!

3. Wear Green

Don the traditional color of the day from head to toe to show your festive spirit.

My friend is an Irish physician who wears all BLUE on St. Paddy's Day, which he says are the TRUE colors. It never stopped me from wearing green! Lol

4. Enjoy Irish Music And Folklore

Listen to traditional Irish music, from folk tunes to modern bands, or read up on Irish legends and fairy tales.

5. Crafting With Kids

Engage in crafting sessions making shamrocks, leprechauns, and pots of gold with children for a family-friendly activity.

6. Watch An Irish Movie Marathon

Spend the day watching films set in Ireland or featuring Irish culture and history.

We always watch "Blown Away," starring Tommy Lee Jones and Jeff Bridges. It's about a Boston bomb expert who is attacked by a former friend who broke out of an Irish prison.

7. Join A Run Or Walk

Participate in a "green" run or walk, often organized for charity on Saint Patrick's Day.

8. Participate In A Pub Crawl

Explore local pubs and bars, many of which offer special deals and live music for the occasion.

Visit authentic Irish pubs for a taste of traditional dishes and perhaps a pint of Guinness.

Don't forget to watch the movie "The World's End," which is about five friends who return to their hometown to reattempt a pub crawl they failed twenty-three years earlier, only to discover an alien invasion is happening in the town! It's another must-see movie in our house!

What Is Saint Joseph's Day?

Saint Joseph's Day comes two days after Saint Paddy's Day; just when you've recovered from the Irish feast, it's time to eat again!

Here's what Google AI (SGE) has to say about it:

"Saint Joseph's Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Joseph, is celebrated annually on March 19th to honor Saint Joseph, the husband of Mary and legal father of Jesus Christ. It is the main feast day for Saint Joseph in Western Christianity and has the rank of a solemnity in the Catholic Church.

Some ways to celebrate Saint Joseph's Day include: Carrying blessed fava beans, Wearing red clothing, Assembling home altars dedicated to Saint Joseph, Attending a Saint Joseph's Day parade, and Church attendance at Mass or Divine Service."

We don't carry fava beans, but after church, we have another gigantic feast where the star of the show is theZeppola!

So, what is a yummy Zeppola, you ask?

According to Google AI (SGE):

"Zeppole (pleural) are a traditional Italian pastry consisting of a deep-fried dough ball, typically about 4 inches in diameter, and topped with powdered sugar. They can be filled with custard, jelly, cannoli-style pastry cream, or a butter-and-honey mixture, and have a light and puffy consistency, or one similar to bread or pasta. Zeppole are typical of Italian cuisine, especially that of Rome and Naples, and originated in Ancient Rome when people started frying dough and putting sugar or cinnamon on it. The zeppole that is around today was created in the eighteenth century. "

My grandmother used to make them by hand. These days, we have a special Italian gourmet bakery where we get them in a variety of flavored fillings, including chocolate, pistachio, Baileys Irish Cream, and a mind-boggling host of other things!

I like the traditional ones best, like in the photo below.

Traditional Italian Zeppola

What Are YOU Doing On Saint Paddy's Day?

Are you having a traditional corned beef dinner with all the fixings and beer? It's a great time to celebrate with family and friends, regardless of ethnic background! Let me know in the comments!

We always do it up big and it's a super fun day that I look forward to each year.

I know I have a green guitar around here somewhere! Lol

Rock On! 🤘🍀
Frank 🎸

~ 70% Human-written content.